2024 Call for Proposals: Ethics Training In PR, Journalism, Advertising & Strategic Communication
The Arthur W. Page Center's 2024 Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant competition for the study of integrity in public communication will accept proposals on ethics training in public relations, journalism, advertising and strategic communication.
For information about our other two calls, visit:
► Expanding Theory for Integrity in Public Communication
► Scholar/Practitioner Collaborations
Call for Proposals: Ethics Training In Public Relations, Journalism, Advertising & Strategic Communication
Senior research fellow and associate professor at Baylor University Marlene Neill is leading the call. If you have questions, please contact Neill at Marlene_Neill@baylor.edu.
Page Principle #1: Tell the truth.
Page Principle #6: Realize an enterprise's true character is expressed by its people.
Prior research has revealed strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ethics training in public relations, journalism, advertising, and other communication disciplines. While journalists and public relations practitioners have scored quite high on moral development, advertising practitioners have not always performed as well.
In addition, while journalism and communication students often do complete an ethics course in college, they are not always receiving routine professional development training in ethics, despite the fact that new issues are always emerging in these disciplines. Although the Commission on Public Relations Education has addressed how ethics should be taught in the college classroom, less scholarly attention has been given to ongoing professional education related to communication ethics.
The Page Center seeks grant proposals that examine the state of ethics training in the disciplines of advertising, journalism, public relations and marketing communication. The goal of this project is to contribute to scholarship and industry awareness and understanding about what types of ethics training programs are being offered by employers and professional associations, where are there gaps or weaknesses in ethics training in these disciplines, new and emerging ethical issues this training should address, and recommendations for ways the industry can effectively meet the needs for effective ethics training.
Topics may include, but are not limited to the following:
► What format are companies and organizations using for ethics training and what are some examples of best practices? Which are the least effective training programs and why?
► What do journalists, advertising, public relations and marketing communication professionals perceive as new or emerging issues that need to be addressed by ethics training programs? What are the enduring issues that these programs should address?
► How do the ethics training needs differ for early, mid-career and senior professionals? Are there significant barriers to receiving this training at various career stages?
► How do ethics training needs vary by industry or sectors (e.g., nonprofit, corporate, government/military, agency, multinational, newspapers, broadcasting, online media)?
► Which professional associations are providing ethics training? To what degree are professionals taking advantage of these programs and how effective do professionals perceive these programs to be?
► What are the core ethics competencies that are necessary in journalism, advertising and marketing communication? (See Neill, 2023 regarding ethics competencies in public relations)
Other compelling ideas or areas regarding ethics training in these disciplines also will be accepted. Studies focused on theory development, organizational best practices, ethical guidelines and/or implications, and other relevant, timely related issues are encouraged.
Proposals should follow the Page Center’s guidelines for grant applications. Successful grants from the ethics training will be included in the Page Center Research Roundtable events. Scholars will be expected to attend two sessions to present their research ideas and findings. Completed manuscripts could be considered for a possible special issue devoted to the topic in the Journal of Media Ethics. More information will be provided in the acceptance letter.
Deadlines & Notifications
► Application materials must be electronically submitted on or before Jan. 15, 2024.
► Scholars will be notified of the selection committee's decisions on March 22, 2024.
► Contracts for successful grants will be finalized by July 1, 2024.
► First Research Roundtable presentation in summer of 2024.
► Second Research Roundtable presentation in summer of 2025.
► Final reports are due December 1, 2025.